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Lin  McLean 


A  JOURNEY  IN 

SEARCH  OF  CHRISTMAS 

BY 

OWEN    WISTER 

AUTHOR  OF 
"LIN  MCLEAN"  "RED  MEN  AND  WHITE" 
"THE  JIMMYJOHN  BOSS"  ETC. 

ILLUSTRATED    BY 

FREDERIC    REMINGTON 

NEW    YORK     AND     LONDON 

HARPER    8   BROTHERS 

PUBLISHERS       «          MCMV 

i     »    •        •>                     -.  1  n 

%  -  ^\:.Ji**Oi*U'*'  ?  A 

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Copyright,  1904,  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

.•Ill  rights  reserved. 
Published  October,  1904. 


CONTENTS 

CHAP. 

I.  Lin's  Money  Talks  Joy 

II.  Lin's  Money  is  Dumb 

III.  A  Transaction  in  Boot-Blacking 

IV.  Turkey  and  Responsibility 

V.  Santa  Glaus  Lin 


225927 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Lin  McLean 


Frontispiece 


"  Lin  walked  in  their  charge,  they  lead 
ing  the  way  " Facing  p.  52 

" 'This  is  Mister  Billy  Lusk'"      .     .        "        90 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH 
OF  CHRISTMAS 


Lin's  Money   Talks  Joy 

THE  Governor  descended  the  steps  of 
the  Capitol  slowly  and  with  pauses,  lift 
ing  a  list  frequently  to  his  eye*  He  had 
intermittently  pencilled  it  between  stages 
of  the  forenoon's  public  business,  and  his 
gait  grew  absent  as  he  recurred  now  to 
his  jottings  in  their  accumulation,  with 
a  slight  pain  at  their  number,  and  the 
definite  fear  that  they  would  be  more  in 
J 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

seasons  to  come.  They  were  the  names 
of  his  friends'  children  to  whom  his  ex 
cellent  heart  moved  him  to  give  Christ 
mas  presents.  He  had  put  off  this  re 
generating  evil  until  the  latest  day,  as 
was  his  custom,  and  now  he  was  set 
ting  forth  to  do  the  whole  thing  at  a 
blow,  entirely  planless  among  the  guns 
and  rocking-horses  that  would  presently 
surround  him.  As  he  reached  the  high- 

way  he  heard  himself  familiarly  addressed 

*-    "•  "*',.."  If.  *  *"• " 

'"•"''  '""**•  It ^  *-"""'  fr°m  a  cttstance,  and,  turning,  saw  four 

===== • :"sons  of  the  alkali  jogging  into  town  from 

the  plain.  One  who  had  shouted  to  him 
j  galloped  out  from  the  others,  rounded 
ithe  Capitol's  enclosure,  and,  approaching 
with  radiant  countenance,  leaned  to  reach 
the  hand  of  the  Governor,  and  once  again 
greeted  him  with  a  hilarious  "Hello, Doc!" 
2 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

Governor  Barker,  M.D.,  seeing  Mr,  Mc 
Lean  unexpectedly  after  several  years, 
hailed  the  horseman  with  frank  and  lively 
pleasure,  and,  inquiring  who  might  be  the 
other  riders  behind,  was  told  that  they 
were  Shorty,  Chalkeye,  and  Dollar  Bill, 
come  for  Christmas.  "  And  dandies  to  hit 
town  with,"  Mr.  McLean  added.  "  Redhot." 

44 1  am  acquainted  with  them,"  assented 
his  Excellency. 

44  We've  been  ridin*  trail  for  twelve 
weeks,"  the  cow  -  puncher  continued, 
"and  the  money  in  our  pants  is  talkin' 
joy  to  us  right  out  loud." 

Then  Mr.  McLean  overflowed  with  talk 
and  pungent  confidences,  for  the  holi 
days  already  rioted  in  his  spirit,  and  his 
tongue  was  loosed  over  their  coming  rites. 

44  We've  soured  on  scenery,"  he  finished, 

3 
\ 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 


in  his  drastic  idiom*     "  We're  heeled  for 
a  big  time/' 

44  Call  on  me,"  remarked  the  Governor, 
cheerily,  "  when  you're  ready  for  bromides 
and  sulphates/' 

44 1  ain't  box-headed  no  more/'  protested 
Mr,  McLean;  4t  I've  got  maturity,  Doc, 
since  I  seen  yu'  at  the  rain-making,  and 
I'm  a  heap  older  than  them  hospital  days 
when  I  bust  my  leg  on  yu'.  Three  or  four 
glasses  and  quit.  That's  my  rule/' 

u  That  your  rule,  too?"  inquired  the 
Governor  of  Shorty,  Chalkeye,  and  Dollar 
Bill.  These  gentlemen  of  the  saddle  were 
sitting  quite  expressionless  upon  their 
horses. 

44  We  ain't  talkin',  we're  waitin',"  ob 
served  Chalkeye;  and  the  three  cynics 
smiled  amiably. 

4 


A   JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

44  Well,  Doc,  see  yu'  again/'  said  Mr. 
McLean.  He  turned  to  accompany  his 
brother  cow-punchers,  but  in  that  par 
ticular  moment  Fate  descended,  or  came 
up,  from  whatever  place  she  dwells  in, 
and  entered  the  body  of  the  unsuspecting 
Governor* 

44  What's  your  hurry  ?"  said  Fate,  speak 
ing  in  the  official's  hearty  manner.  4i  Come 
along  with  me/' 

44  Cant  do  it.     Where're  yu'  goin'?" 

44  Christmasing,"  replied  Fate. 

44  Well,  I've  got  to  feed  my  horse. 
Christmasing,  yu'  say?" 

4  Yes;  I'm  buying  toys." 

44  Toys!    You?    What  for?" 

44  Oh,  some  kids." 

'4  Yourn?"  screeched  Lin,  precipitately. 

His  Excellency  the  jovial  Governor  open- 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 


ed  his  teeth  in  pleasure  at  this,  for  he  was  a 
bachelor,  and  there  were  fifteen  upon  his 
list,  which  he  held  tip  for  the  edification 
of  the  hasty  McLean,  "  Not  mine,  I'm 
happy  to  say.  My  friends  keep  marrying 
and  settling,  and  their  kids  call  me  ancle, 
and  climb  aroimd  and  bother,  and  I  forget 
their  names,  and  think  it's  a  girl,  and  the 
mother  gets  mad.  Why,  if  I  didn't  re 
member  these  little  folks  at  Christmas 
they'd  be  wondering— not  the  kids,  they 
just  break  your  toys  and  don't  notice;  bat 
the  mother  would  wonder — '  What's  the 
matter  with  Dr,  Barker?  Has  Governor 
Barker  gone  back  on  us?' — that's  where 
the  strain  comes!"  he  broke  off,  facing 
Mr,  McLean  with  another  spacious  laugh. 
But  the  cow-puncher  had  ceased  to  smile, 
and  now,  while  Barker  ran  on  exuberantly 
6 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

McLean's  wide-open  eyes  rested  upon  him, 
singular  and  intent,  and  in  their  hazel 
depths  the  last  gleam  of  jocularity  went  out. 

44  That's  where  the  strain  comes,  you 
see*  Two  sets  of  acquaintances  —  grate-  > 
ful  patients  and  loyal  voters — and  Fve 
got  to  keep  solid  with  both  outfits,  es 
pecially  the  wives  and  mothers*  They're 
the  people.  So  it's  drums,  and  dolls,  and 
sheep  on  wheels,  and  games,  and  monkeys 
on  a  stick,  and  the  saleslady  shows  you  a 
mechanical  bear,  and  it  costs  too  much, 
and  you  forget  whether  the  Judge's  second 
girl  is  Nellie  or  Susie,  and — well,  I'm  just 
in  for  my  annual  circus  this  afternoon! 
You're  in  luck.  Christmas  don't  trouble  a 
chap  fixed  like  you." 

Lin  McLean  prolonged  the  sentence  like  / 
a  distant  echo. 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

"A  chap  fixed  like  you!"  The  cow- 
ptmcher  said  it  slowly  to  himself*  "  No, 
sure."  He  seemed  to  be  watching  Shorty, 
and  Chalkeye,  and  Dollar  Bill  going  down 
the  road,  u  That's  a  new  idea  —  Christ 
mas,"  he  murmured,  for  it  was  one  of  his 
oldest,  and  he  was  recalling  the  Christmas 
when  he  wore  his  first  long  trousers* 

44  Comes  once  a  year  pretty  regular," 
remarked  the  prosperous  Governor, 
44  Seems  often  when  you  pay  the  bill," 

44 1  haven't  made  a  Christmas  gift," 
pursued  the  cow-puncher,  dreamily,  "  not 
for — for — Lord!  it's  a  hundred  years,  I 
guess*  I  don't  know  anybody  that  has 
any  right  to  look  for  such  a  thing  from 
me,"  This  was  indeed  a  new  idea,  and  it 
did  not  stop  the  chill  that  was  spreading 
in  his  heart. 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

44  Gee  whiz!"  said  Barker,  briskly,  "there 
goes  twelve  o'clock*  I've  got  to  make 
a  start*  Sorry  you  can't  come  and  help 
me*  Good-bye!" 

His  Excellency  left  the  rider  sitting 
motionless,  and  forgot  him  at  once  in  his 
own  preoccupation.  He  hastened  upon  his 
journey  to  the  shops  with  the  list,  not  in 
his  pocket,  but  held  firmly,  like  a  plank 
in  the  imminence  of  shipwreck.  The 
Nellies  and  Susies  pervaded  his  mind,  and 
he  struggled  with  the  presentiment  that 
in  a  day  or  two  he  would  recall  some 
omitted  and  wretchedly  important  child* 
Quick  hoof-beats  made  him  look  up,  and 
Mr*  McLean  passed  like  a  wind*  The 
Governor  absently  watched  him  go,  and 
saw  the  pony  hunch  and  stiffen  in  the 
check  of  his  speed  when  Lin  overtook  his 
9 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

companions.  Down  there  in  the  distance 
they  took  a  side  street,  and  Barker  re 
joicingly  remembered  one  more  name  and 
wrote  it  as  he  walked.  In  a  few  minutes 
he  had  come  to  the  shops,  and  met  face 
to  face  with  Mr.  McLean. 

"The  boys  are  seein'  after  my  horse/' 
Lin  rapidly  began,  "and  Fve  got  to  meet 
'em  sharp  at  one.  We're  twelve  weeks 
shy  on  a  square  meal,  yu'  see,  and  this 
first  has  been  a  date  from  'way  back.  I'd 
like  to —  "  Here  Mr.  McLean  cleared  his 
throat,  and  his  speech  went  less  smoothly. 
"Doc,  I'd  like  just  for  a  while  to  watch 
yu'  gettin' — them  monkeys,  yu'  know." 

The  Governor  expressed  his  agreeable 
surprise  at  this  change  of  mind,  and  was 
glad  of  McLean's  company  and  judgment 
during  the  impending  selections*  A  pict- 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

ure  of  a  cow-puncher  and  himself  dis 
cussing  a  couple  of  dolls  rose  nimbly  in 
Barker's  mental  eye,  and  it  was  with  an 
imperfect  honesty  that  he  said,  "You'll 
help  me  a  heap." 

And  Lin,  quite  sincere,  replied,  "Thank 


So  together  these  two  went  Christmas- 
ing  in  the  throng.  Wyoming's  Chief  Ex 
ecutive  knocked  elbows  with  the  spurred 
and  jingling  waif,  one  man  as  good  as  an 
other  in  that  raw,  hopeful,  full-blooded 
cattle  era  which  now  the  sobered  West 
remembers  as  the  days  of  its  fond  youth* 
For  one  man  has  been  as  good  as  another 
in  three  places — Paradise  before  the  Fall; 
the  Rocky  Mountains  before  the  wire 
fence;  and  the  Declaration  of  Indepen 
dence.  And  then  this  Governor,  besides 
II 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

being  young,  almost  as  young  as  Lin 
McLean  or  the  Chief- Justice  (who  lately 
had  celebrated  his  thirty-second  birth 
day),  had  in  his  doctoring  days  at  Dry- 
bone  known  the  cow-puncher  with  that 
familiarity  which  lasts  a  lifetime  without 
breeding  contempt;  accordingly,  he  now 
laid  a  hand  on  Lin's  tall  shoulder  and 
drew  him  among  the  petticoats  and  toys* 


II 

Lin's  Money  is  Dumb 

CHRISTMAS  filled  the  windows  and 
Christmas  stirred  in  mankind*  Cheyenne, 
not  over-zealous  in  doctrine  or  litanies,  and 
with  the  opinion  that  a  world  in  the  hand 
is  worth  two  in  the  bush,  nevertheless 
was  flocking  together,  neighbor  to  think 
of  neighbor,  and  every  one  to  remember 
the  children;  a  sacred  assembly,  after  all, 
gathered  to  rehearse  unwittingly  the  ar 
ticles  of  its  belief,  the  Creed  and  Doctrine 
of  the  Child.  Lin  saw  them  hurry  and 
smile  among  the  paper  fairies;  they  ques 
tioned  and  hesitated,  crowded  and  made 
13 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

decisions,  failed  utterly  to  find  the  right 
thing,  forgot  and  hastened  backt  suffered 
all  the  various  desperations  of  the  eleventh 
hour,  and  turned  homeward,  dropping 
their  parcels  with  that  undimmed  good 
will  that  once  a  year  makes  gracious  the 
universal  human  face*  This  brotherhood 
swam  and  beamed  before  the  cow-puncher's 
brooding  eyes,  and  in  his  ears  the  greeting 
of  the  season  sang.  Children  escaped  from 
their  mothers  and  ran  chirping  behind  the 
counters  to  touch  and  meddle  in  places 
forbidden.  Friends  dashed  against  each 
other  with  rabbits  and  magic  lanterns, 
greeted  in  haste,  and  were  gone,  amid  the 
sound  of  musical  boxes. 

Through  this  tinkle  and  bleating  of  lit 
tle  machinery  the  murmur  of  the  human 
heart  drifted  in  and  out  of  McLean's  hear- 
14 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

ing;  fragments  of  home  talk,  tendernesses, 
economies,  intimate  first  names,  and  din 
ner  hours;  and  whether  it  was  joy  or  sad 
ness,  it  was  in  common;  the  world  seemed 
knit  in  a  single  skein  of  home  ties*  Two 
or  three  came  by  whose  purses  must  have 
been  slender,  and  whose  purchases  were 
humble  and  chosen  after  much  nice  ad 
justment;  and  when  one  plain  man  drop 
ped  a  word  about  both  ends  meeting,  and 
the  woman  with  him  laid  a  hand  on  his 
arm,  saying  that  his  children  must  not 
feel  this  year  was  different,  Lin  made  a 
step  towards  them*  There  were  hours  and 
spots  where  he  could  readily  have  descend 
ed  upon  them  at  that,  played  the  role  of 
clinking  affluence,  waved  thanks  aside 
with  competent  blasphemy,  and,  tossing 

off    some     infamous    whiskey,    cantered 
15 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

away  in  the  full,  self-conscious  strut  of 
the  frontier.  But  here  was  not  the  mo 
ment;  the  abashed  cow-puncher  could 
make  no  such  parade  in  this  place.  The 
people  brushed  by  him  back  and  forth, 
busy  upon  their  errands,  and  aware  of 
him  scarcely  more  than  if  he  had  been 
a  spirit  looking  on  from  the  helpless 
dead;  and  so,  while  these  weaving  needs 
and  kindnesses  of  man  were  within  arm's 
touch  of  him,  he  was  locked  outside  with 
his  impulses.  Barker  had,  in  the  natu 
ral  press  of  customers,  long  parted  from 
him,  to  become  immersed  in  choosing 
and  rejecting;  and  now,  with  a  fair  part 
of  his  mission  accomplished,  he  was  ready 
to  go  on  to  the  next  place,  and  turned 
to  beckon  McLean.  He  found  him  oblit 
erated  in  a  corner  beside  a  life-sized  im- 
16 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

age  of  Santa  Claws,  standing  as  still  as 
the  frosty  saint* 

"He  looks  livelier  than  you  do,"  said*" 
the  hearty  Governor.    "'Fraid  it's  been 
slow  waiting/' 

"No,"  replied  the  cow-puncher,  thought 
fully.  "No,  I  guess  not." 

This  uncertainty  was  expressed  with 
such  gentleness  that  Barker  roared. 
"You  never  did  lie  to  me,"  he  said, 
"long  as  I've  known  you.  Well,  never 
mind.  I've  got  some  real  advice  to  ask 
you  now." 

At  this  Mr.  McLean's  face  grew  more 
alert.  "Say,  Doc,"  said  he,  "what  do  yu' 
want  for  Christmas  that  nobody's  likely 
to  give  yu'?" 

"A  big  practice — big  enough  to  inter 
fere  with  my  politics." 
17 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

"What  else?  Things  and  truck,  I 
mean/' 

"Oh— nothing  I'll  get.  People  don't 
give  things  much  to  fellows  like  me/' 

"Don't  they?    Don't  they?" 

"Why,  you  and  Santa  Clans  weren't 
patting  up  any  scheme  on  my  stock 
ing?" 

"Well—" 

"I  believe  you  re  in  earnest!"  cried  his 
^Excellency.  "That's  simply  rich!"  Here 
was  a  thing  to  relish!  The  Frontier  comes 
•:"to  town  "heeled  for  a  big  time,"  finds 
that  presents  are  all  the  rage,  and  must 
immediately  give  somebody  something. 
Oh,  childlike,  miscellaneous  Frontier!  So 
thought  the  good-hearted  Governor;  and 
it  seems  a  venial  misconception.  "My 
dear  fellow,"  he  added,  meaning  as  well 
18 


A  JOURNEY   IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

as  possible,  "I  don't  want  you  to  spend 
your  money  on  me/' 

"I've  got  plenty  all  right/'  said  Lin, 
shortly* 

"Plenty's  not  the  point*  I'll  take  as 
many  drinks  as  you  please  with  you*  You 
didn't  expect  anything  from  me?" 

"That  ain't— that  don't—" 

"There!  Of  course  you  didn't*  Then* 
what  are  you  getting  proud  about  ?  Here's 
our  shop*"  They  stepped  in  from  the 
street  to  new  crowds  and  counters* 
"Now/'  pursued  the  Governor,  "this  is 
for  a  very  particular  friend  of  mine* 
Here  they  are.  Now,  which  of  those  do 
you  like  best?" 

They  were  sets  of  Tennyson  in  cases 
holding  little  volumes  equal  in  number, 
but  the  binding  various,  and  Mr*  McLean 
J9 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 


reached  his  decision  after  one  look.  "  That," 
said  he,  and  laid  a  large,  muscular  hand 
upon  the  Laureate*  The  young  lady  be 
hind  the  counter  spoke  out  acidly,  and 
Lin  pulled  the  abject  hand  away.  His 
taste,  however,  happened  to  be  sound,  or, 
at  least,  it  was  at  one  with  the  Governor's; 
but  now  they  learned  that  there  was  a  dis 
tressing  variance  in  the  matter  of  price* 

The  Governor  stared  at  the  delicate  ar 
ticle  of  his  choice.  ''I  know  that  Tenny 
son  is  what  she — is  what's  wanted,"  he 
muttered;  and,  feeling  himself  nudged, 
looked  around  and  saw  Lin's  extended 
fist.  This  gesture  he  took  for  a  facetious 
sympathy,  and,  dolorously  grasping  the 
hand,  found  himself  holding  a  lump  of 
bills.  Sheer  amazement  relaxed  him,  and 
the  cow-puncher's  matted  wealth  ttim- 
20 


A   JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

bled  on  the  floor  in  sight  of  all  people* 
Barker  picked  it  up  and  gave  it  back, 
"No,  not  no!"  he  said,  mirthful  over  his 
own  inclination  to  be  annoyed;  "you  can't 
do  that.  I'm  just  as  much  obliged,  Lin, 
he  added. 

"Just  as  a  loan,  Doc — some  of  it.  Fm 
grass-bellied  with  spot-cash." 

A  giggle  behind  the  counter  disturbed 
them  both,  but  the  sharp  young  lady  was 
only  dusting.  The  Governor  at  once  paid 
haughtily  for  Tennyson's  expensive  works, 
and  the  cow-puncher  pushed  his  discoun 
tenanced  savings  back  into  his  clothes. 
Making  haste  to  leave  the  book  depart 
ment  of  this  shop,  they  regained  a  mutual 
ease,  and  the  Governor  became  waggish 
over  Lin's  concern  at  being  too  rich.  He 

suggested  to  him  the  list  of  delinquent 
21 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

taxpayers  and  the  latest  census  from 
which  to  select  indigent  persons.  He  had 
patients,  too,  whose  inveterate  penniless- 
ness  he  could  swear  cheerfully  to — "since 
you  want  to  bolt  from  your  own  money," 
he  remarked. 

"Yes,  I'm  a  green  horse,"  assented  Mr. 
McLean,  gallantly;  "ain't  used  to  the 
looks  of  a  twenty-dollar  bill,  and  I  shy 
at  'em." 

From  his  face — that  jocular  mask — one 
might  have  counted  him  the  most  serene 
and  careless  of  vagrants,  and  in  his  words 
only  the  ordinary  voice  of  banter  spoke  to 
the  Governor.  A  good  woman,  it  may  well 
be,  would  have  guessed  before  this  the 
sensitive  soul  in  the  blundering  body;  but 
Barker  saw  just  the  familiar,  whimsical, 
happy-go-lucky  McLean  of  old  days,  and 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

so  he  went  gayly  and  innocently  on,  tread 
ing  upon  holy  ground*  "I've  got  it!"  he 
exclaimed;  "give  your  wife  something/' 

The  ruddy  cow-puncher  grinned*  He 
had  passed  through  the  world  of  woman 
with  but  few  delay st  rejoicing  in  informal 
and  transient  entanglements,  and  he  wel 
comed  the  turn  which  the  conversation 
seemed  now  to  be  taking*  "If  you'll  give 
me  her  name  and  address,"  said  he,  with 
the  future  entirely  in  his  mind. 

"Why,  Laramie!"  and  the  Governor 
feigned  surprise. 

"Say,  Doc,"  said  Lin,  uneasily,  "none 
of  'em  'ain't  married  me  since  I  saw  you 
last." 

"Then  she  hasn't  written  from  Lara- 
mie?"  said  the  hilarious  Governor;  and 

Mr.  McLean  understood   and  winced  in 
23 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 


his  spirit  deep  down.  "Gee  whiz!"  went 
on  Barker,  "I'll  never  forget  you  and 
Lusk  that  day!" 

Bat  the  mask  fell  now.  "You're  talk 
ing  of  his  wife,  not  mine,"  said  the  cow- 
puncher,  very  quietly,  and  smiling  no  more; 
"and,  Doc,  I'm  going  to  say  a  word  to  yu', 
for  I  know  yu've  always  been  my  good 
friend.  I'll  never  forget  that  day  myself 
— but  I  don't  want  to  be  reminded  of  it." 

"I'm  a  fool,  Lin,"  said  the  Governor, 
generous  instantly.  "  I  never  supposed — " 

"I  know  yu'  didn't,  Doc.  It  ain't  you 
that's  the  fool.  And  in  a  way  —  in  a 
way — "  Lin's  speech  ended  among  his 
crowding  memories,  and  Barker,  seeing 
how  wistful  his  face  had  turned,  waited. 

But  I  ain't  quite  the  same  fool  I  was 
before  that  happened  to  me,"  the  cow- 
24 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

puncher  resumed,  "though  maybe  my 
actions  don't  show  to  be  wiser.  I  know 
that  there  was  better  luck  than  a  man 
like  me  had  any  call  to  look  for." 

The  sobered  Barker  said,  simply,  "Yes, 
Lin."  He  was  set  to  thinking  by  these 
words  from  the  unsuspected  inner  man. 

Out  in  the  Bow-Leg  country  Lin  McLean 
had  met  a  woman  with  thick,  red  cheeks, 
calling  herself  by  a  maiden  name;  and  this 
was  his  whole  knowledge  of  her  when  he 
put  her  one-  morning  astride  a  Mexican 
saddle  and  took  her  fifty  miles  to  a  mag 
istrate  and  made  her  his  lawful  wife  to 
the  best  of  his  ability  and  belief.  His 
sage-brush  intimates  were  confident  he 
would  never  have  done  it  but  for  a  rival. 
Racing  the  rival  and  beating  him  had 
swept  Mr.  McLean  past  his  own  intentions, 
25 

I 


1 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

and  the  marriage  was  an  inadvertence, 
"He  jest  bumped  into  it  before  he  could 
pull  up/'  they  explained;  and  this  casual 
ty,  resulting  from  Mr.  McLean's  sporting 
blood,  had  entertained  several  hundred 
square  miles  of  alkali.  For  the  new-made 
husband  the  joke  soon  died.  In  the  im 
mediate  weeks  that  came  upon  him  he 
tasted  a  bitterness  worse  than  in  all  his 
life  before,  and  learned  also  how  deep  the 
woman,  when  once  she  begins,  can  sink  be 
neath  the  man  in  baseness.  That  was  a 
knowledge  of  which  he  had  lived  innocent 
until  this  time.  But  he  carried  his  out 
ward  self  serenely,  so  that  citizens  in  Chey 
enne  who  saw  the  cow-puncher  with  his 
bride  argued  shrewdly  that  men  of  that 
sort  liked  women  of  that  sort;  and  before 
the  strain  had  broken  his  endurance  an 
26 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

unexpected  first  husband,  named  Lusk, 
had  appeared  one  Sunday  in  the  street, 
prosperous,  forgiving,  and  exceedingly 
drunk.  To  the  arms  of  Lusk  she  went  tj 
back  in  the  public  street,  deserting  McLean 
in  the  presence  of  Cheyenne;  and  when 
Cheyenne  saw  this,  and  learned  how  she 
had  been  Mrs.  Lusk  for  eight  long,  if  in 
termittent,  years,  Cheyenne  laughed  loud 
ly.  Lin  McLean  laughed,  too,  and  went 
about  his  business,  ready  to  swagger  at 
the  necessary  moment,  and  with  the  nec 
essary  kind  of  joke  always  ready  to  shield 
his  hurt  spirit.  And  soon,  of  course,  the 
matter  grew  stale,  seldom  raked  up  in  the. 
Bow-Leg  country  where  Lin  had  been  at 
work;  so  lately  he  had  begun  to  remember 
other  things  besides  the  smouldering 

miliation. 

27 


O 


\ 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

"Is  she  with  him?"  he  asked  Barker, 
and  musingly  listened  while  Barker  told 
him*  The  Governor  had  thought  to  make 
it  a  racy  story,  with  the  moral  that  the 
joke  was  now  on  Lusk;  but  that  inner  man 
had  spoken  and  revealed  the  cow-puncher 
to  him  in  a  new  and  complicated  light; 
hence  he  quieted  the  proposed  lively  ca 
dence  and  vocabulary  of  his  anecdote 
about  the  house  of  Lusk,  and  instead  of 
narrating  how  Mrs*  beat  Mr*  on  Mondays, 
Wednesdays,  and  Fridays,  and  Mr.  took 
his  turn  the  odd  days,  thus  getting  one 
ahead  of  his  lady,  while  the  kid  Lusk  had 
outlined  his  opinion  of  the  family  by  re 
cently  skipping  to  parts  unknown,  Barker 
detailed  these  incidents  more  gravely,  add 
ing  that  Laramie  believed  Mrs*  Lusk  ad 
dicted  to  opium* 

28 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH    OF  CHRISTMAS 

44 1  don't  guess  I'll  leave  my  card  on 
'em/'  said  McLean,  grimly ,  "if  I  strike 
Laramie." 

"You  don't  mind  my  saying  I  think 
you're  well  out  of  that  scrape?"  Barker 
ventured* 

"Shucks,  no!  That's  all  right,  Doc. 
Only — yu'  see  now.  A  man  gets  tired 
pretending — onced  in  a  while." 

Time  had  gone  while  they  were  in  talk, 
and  it  was  now  half  after  one  and  Mr. 
McLean  late  for  that  long -plotted  first 
square  meal*  So  the  friends  shook  hands, 
wishing  each  other  Merry  Christmas,  and 
the  cow-puncher  hastened  towards  his 
chosen  companions  through  the  stirring 
cheerfulness  of  the  season.  His  play-hour 
had  made  a  dull  beginning  among  the  toys. 

He  had  come  upon  people  engaged  in  a 
29 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 


pleasant  game,  and  waited,  shy  and  well- 
disposed,  for  some  bidding  to  join,  but  they 
had  gone  on  playing  with  one  another 
and  left  him  out*  And  now  he  went  along 
in  a  sort  of  hurry  to  escape  from  that  lone 
liness  where  his  human  promptings  had 
been  lodged  with  him  useless.  Here  was 
Cheyenne,  full  of  holiday  for  sale,  and  he 
with  his  pockets  full  of  money  to  buy; 
and  when  he  thought  of  Shorty  and  Chalk- 
eye  and  Dollar  Bill,  those  dandies  to  hit 
town  with,  he  stepped  out  with  a  brisk, 
false  hope.  It  was  with  a  mental  hurrah 
and  a  foretaste  of  a  good  time  coming  that 
he  put  on  his  town  clothes,  after  shaving 
and  admiring  himself,  and  sat  down  to  the 
square  meal.  He  ate  away  and  drank 
with  a  robust  imitation  of  enjoyment  that 
took  in  even  himself  at  first.  But  the  sor- 
30 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

rowful  process  of  his  spirit  went  on,  for 
all  he  could  do.  As  he  groped  for  the  con 
tentment  which  he  saw  around  him  he  be 
gan  to  receive  the  jokes  with  counterfeit 
mirth.  Memories  took  the  place  of  antic 
ipation,  and  through  their  moody  shift- 
ings  he  began  to  feel  a  distaste  for  the  com 
pany  of  his  friends  and  a  shrinking  from 
their  lively  voices*  He  blamed  them  for 
this  at  once.  He  was  surprised  to  think 
he  had  never  recognized  before  how  light 
a  weight  was  Shorty,  and  here  was  Chalk- 
eye,  who  knew  better,  talking  religion  after 
two  glasses.  Presently  this  attack  of  no 
ticing  his  friends'  shortcomings  mastered 
him,  and  his  mind,  according  to  its  wont, 
changed  at  a  stroke.  "Fin  celebrating 
no  Christmas  with  this  crowd/'  said  the 
inner  man;  and  when  they  had  next  re- 
3J 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 


membered  Lin  McLean  in  their  hilarity 
he  was  gone. 

Governor  Barker,  finishing  his  pur 
chases  at  half-past  three,  went  to  meet  a 
friend  come  from  Evanston.  Mr.  McLean 
was  at  the  railway  station  baying  a  ticket 
for  Denver. 

44  Denver !"  exclaimed  the  amazed  Gov 
ernor. 

44  That's  what  I  said,"  stated  Mr.  McLean, 
doggedly. 

"Suffering  Moses!"  said  his  Excellency* 
"What  are  you  going  to  do  there?" 

"Get  good  and  drunk." 

"Can't  you  find  enough  whiskey  in  Chey 
enne?" 

"I'm  drinking  champagne  this  trip." 

The  cow-puncher  went  out  on  the  plat 
form  and  got  aboard,  and  the  train  moved 
32 

X 


V- 

(<• 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

off*  Barker  had  walked  out,  too,  in  his 
surprise,  and  as  he  stared  after  the  last 
car  Mr*  McLean  waved  his  wide  hat  de 
fiantly  and  went  inside  the  door. 

"And  he  says  he's  got  maturity,"  Bar 
ker  muttered.  "I've  known  him  since 
seventy-nine,  and  he's  kept  about  eight 
years  old  right  along/'  The  Governor 
was  cross  and  sorry,  and  presently  cross- 
er.  His  jokes  about  Lin's  marriage  came 
back  to  him  and  put  him  in  a  rage  with 
the  departed  fool.  "Yes,  about  eight. 
Or  six,"  said  his  Excellency,  justifying 
himself  by  the  past.  For  he  had  first 
known  Lin,  the  boy  of  nineteen,  supreme 
in  length  of  limb  and  recklessness,  break 
ing  horses  and  feeling  for  an  early  mus 
tache.  Next,  when  the  mustache  was 
nearly  accomplished,  he  had  mended  the 
33 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

boy's  badly  broken  thigh  at  Drybone. 
His  skill  (and  Lin's  spotless  health)  had 
wrought  so  swift  a  healing  that  the  sur 
geon  overflowed  with  the  pride  of  science, 
and  over  the  bandages  would  explain  the 
human  body  technically  to  his  wild-eyed 
and  flattered  patient.  Thus  young  Lin 
heard  all  about  tibia,  and  comminuted, 
and  other  glorious  new  words,  and  when 
sleepless  would  rehearse  them.  Then, 
with  the  bone  so  nearly  knit  that  the  pa 
tient  might  leave  the  ward  on  crutches 
;"to  sit  each  morning  in  Barker's  room  as  a 
privilege,  the  disobedient  child  of  twenty- 
one  had  slipped  out  of  the  hospital  and 
hobbled  hastily  to  the  hog  ranch,  where 
whiskey  and  variety  waited  for  a  languish 
ing  convalescent.  Here  he  grew  gay,  and 
was  soon  carried  back  with  the  leg  refract- 
34 


A  JOURNEY   IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 


ured.  Yet  Barker's  surgical  rage  was  dis 
armed,  the  patient  was  so  forlorn  over  his 
doctor's  professional  chagrin, 

"I  suppose  it  ain't  no  better  this  morn 
ing,  Doc?"  he  had  said,  humbly,  after  a 
new  week  of  bed  and  weights. 

"Your  right  leg's  going  to  be  shorter* 
That's  all." 

"Oh,  gosh!  I've  been  and  spoiled  your 
comminuted  fee-mur!  Ain't  I  a  son-of-a- 
g«n?" 

You  could  not  chide  such  a  boy  as  this; 
and  in  time's  due  course  he  had  walked 
jauntily  out  into  the  world  with  legs  of 
equal  length,  after  all,  and  in  his  stride  the 
slightest  halt  possible.  And  Doctor  Bar 
ker  had  missed  the  child's  conversation* 
To-day  his  mustache  was  a  perfected  thing, 
and  he  in  the  late  end  of  his  twenties. 

35 

I 


A   TOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

44  He'll  wake  up  about  noon  to-morrow 
in  a  dive,  without  a  cent/'  said  Barker. 
"Then  he'll  come  back  on  a  freight  and 
begin  over  again." 


Ill 

A   Transaction   in   Boot-Blacking 

AT  the  Denver  station  Lin  McLean  pass 
ed  through  the  shoutings  and  omnibuses, 
and  came  to  the  beginning  of  Seventeenth 
Street,  where  is  the  first  saloon.  A  cus 
tomer  was  ordering  Hot  Scotch;  and  be 
cause  he  liked  the  smell  and  had  not  thought 
of  the  mixture  for  a  number  of  years,  Lin 
took  Hot  Scotch.  Coming  out  upon  the 
pavement,  he  looked  across  and  saw  a 
saloon  opposite  with  brighter  globes  and 
windows  more  prosperous*  That  should 
have  been  his  choice;  lemon-peel  would  un 
doubtedly  be  fresher  over  there;  and  over 
37 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 


he  went  at  once,  to  begin  the  whole  thing 
properly*  In  such  frozen  weather  no 
drink  could  be  more  timely,  and  he  sat,  to 
enjoy  without  haste  its  mellow  fitness* 
Once  again  on  the  pavement,  he  looked 
along  the  street  towards  tip-town  beneath 
the  crisp,  cold  electric  lights,  and  three 
little  bootblacks  gathered  where  he  stood, 
and  cried,  " Shine?  Shine?"  at  him*  Re 
membering  that  you  took  the  third  turn 
to  the  right  to  get  the  best  dinner  in  Den 
ver*  Lin  hit  on  the  skilful  plan  of  stopping 
at  all  Hot  Scotches  between;  but  the  next 
occurred  within  a  few  yards,  and  it  was 
across  the  street*  This  one  being  attained 
and  appreciated,  he  found  that  he  must 
cross  back  again  or  skip  number  four*  At 
this  rate  he  would  not  be  dining  in  time 
to  see  much  of  the  theatre,  and  he  stopped 
38 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

to  consider.  It  was  a  German  place  he 
had  just  quitted,  and  a  huge  light  poured 
out  on  him  from  its  window,  which  the 
proprietor's  fatherland  sentiment  had 
made  into  a  show.  Lights  shone  among 
a  well-set  pine  forest,  where  beery,  jovial 
gnomes  sat  on  roots  and  reached  upward 
to  Santa  Glaus;  he,  grinning,  fat,  and  Teu 
tonic,  held  in  his  right  hand  forever  a  foam 
ing  glass,  and  forever  in  his  left  a  string 
of  sausages  that  dangled  down  among 
the  gnomes.  With  his  American  back  to 
this,  the  cow-puncher,  wearing  the  same 
serious,  absent  face  he  had  not  changed 
since  he  ran  away  from  himself  at 
Cheyenne,  considered  carefully  the  Hot 
Scotch  question  and  which  side  of  the 
road  to  take  and  stick  to,  while  the  little 
bootblacks  found  him  once  more,  and 
39 


•co 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

cried,  " Shine?  Shine ?"  monotonous  as 
snowbirds*  He  settled  to  stay  over 
here  with  the  southside  Scotches,  and, 
the  little,  one-note  song  reaching  his  at 
tention,  he  suddenly  shoved  his  foot  at 
the  nearest  boy,  who  lightly  sprang 
away, 

"Dare  you  to  touch  him!"  piped  a  snow 
bird,  dangerously.  They  were  in  short 
trousers,  and  the  eldest  enemy,  it  may  be, 
was  ten. 

"Don't  hit  me,"  said  Mr.  McLean.  'Tm 
innocent." 

"Well,  you  leave  him  be,"  said  one. 

"What's  he  layin'  to  kick  you  for,  Billy? 
'Tain't  yer  pop,  is  it?" 

Naw!"  said  Billy,  in  scorn.    "Father 
never   kicked  me.     Don't  know  who   he 


A   JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

"He's  a  special!"  shrilled  the  leading 
bird,  sensationally.  "He's  got  a  badge, 
and  he's  going  to  arrest  yer*" 

Two  of  them  hopped  instantly  to  the 
safe  middle  of  the  street,  and  scattered 
with  practised  strategy;  but  Billy  stood 
his  ground.  "Dare  you  to  arrest  me!" 
said  he* 

"What  '11  you  give  me  not  to?"  inquired 
Lin,  and  he  put  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
arms  akimbo* 

"Nothing;  I've  done  nothing/'  announc 
ed  Billy,  firmly*  But  even  in  the  last  syl 
lable  his  voice  suddenly  failed,  a  terror 
filled  his  eyes,  and  he,  too,  sped  into  the 
middle  of  the  street* 

"What's  he  claim  you  lifted?"  inquired 
the  leader,  with  eagerness.  "  Tell  him  you 

haven't  been  inside  a  store  to-day.    We    * 
41 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH    OF  CHRISTMAS 

can  prove  it!"  they  screamed  to  the  special 
officer. 

44  Say,"  said  the  slow-spoken  Lin  from 
the  pavement,  "you're  poor  judges  of  a 
badge,  you  fellows." 

His  tone  pleased  them  where  they  stood, 
wide  apart  from  each  other. 

Mr.  McLean  also  remained  stationary 
in  the  bluish  illumination  of  the  window. 
44  Why,  if  any  policeman  was  caught  wear- 
in'  this  here,"  said  he,  following  his  spright 
ly  invention,  "he'd  get  arrested  himself." 

This  struck  them  extremely.  They  be 
gan  to  draw  together,  Billy  lingering  the 
last. 

44  If  it's  your  idea,"  pursued  Mr.  McLean, 
alluringly,  as  the  three  took  cautious  steps 
nearer  the  curb,  "that  blue,  clasped  hands 
in  a  circle  of  red  stars  gives  the  bearer  the 
42 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF  CHRISTMAS 

right  to  put  folks  in  the  jug — whyt  I'll 
get  somebody  else  to  black  my  boots  for 
a  dollar/' 

The  three  made  a  swift  rush,  fell  on  si- 
multaneous  knees,  and,  clattering  their 
boxes  down,  began  to  spit  in  an  industri 
ous  circle. 

"Easy!"  wheedled  Mr.  McLean,  and 
they  looked  up  at  him,  staring  and  fasci 
nated*  "Not  having  three  feet/'  said  the 
cow-puncher,  always  grave  and  slow,  "I 
can  only  give  two  this  here  job/' 

"He's  got  a  big  pistol  and  a  belt!"  ex 
ulted  the  leader,  who  had  precociously 
felt  beneath  Lin's  coat* 

"You're  a  smart  boy,"  said  Lin,  con 
sidering  him,  "and  yu'  find  a  man  out 
right  away.  Now  you  stand  off  and  tells 
me  all  about  myself  while  they  fix  the 
43 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

boots — and  a  dollar  goes  to  the  quickest 
through/' 

Young  Billy  and  his  tow-headed  com 
petitor  flattened  down,  each  to  a  boot, 
with  all  their  might,  while  the  leader  rue 
fully  contemplated  Mr.  McLean. 

'That's  a  Colt  forty-five  youVe  got/' 
ventured  he. 

44  Right  again.  Some  dayt  maybe,  you'll 
be  wearing  one  of  your  own,  if  the  angels 
don't  pull  yu'  before  you're  ripe." 

"I'm  through!"  sang  out  Towhead, 
rising  in  haste. 

Small  Billy  was  struggling  still,  but  leap 
ed  at  that,  the  two  heads  bobbing  to  a 
level  together;  and  Mr.  McLean,  looking 
down,  saw  that  the  arrangement  had  not 
been  a  good  one  for  the  boots. 

Will  you  kindly  referee,"  said  he,  for- 
44 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

givingly,  to  the  leader,  "and  decide  which 
of  them  smears  is  the  awfulest?" 

But  the  leader  looked  the  other  way 
and  played  upon  a  mouth-organ. 

44  Well,  that  saves  me  money/'  said  Mr. 
McLean,  jingling  his  pocket.  "I  guess 
you've  both  won/'  He  handed  each  of 
them  a  dollar.  "Now/'  he  continued,  "I 
just  dassent  show  these  boots  up-town;  so 
this  time  it's  a  dollar  for  the  best  shine." 

The  two  went  palpitating  at  their  brush 
es  again,  and  the  leader  played  his  mouth- 
organ  with  brilliant  unconcern.  Lin,  tall 
and  brooding,  leaned  against  the  jutting 
sill  of  the  window,  a  figure  somehow  plain 
ly  strange  in  town,  while  through  the 
bright  plate-glass  Santa  Glaus,  holding 
out  his  beer  and  sausages,  perpetually 
beamed. 

45 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

Billy  was  laboring  gallantly,  but  it  was 
labor,  the  cow-puncher  perceived,  and 
Billy  no  seasoned  expert.  "See  here/' 
said  Lin,  stooping,  "I'll  show  yu*  how  it's 
done.  He's  playin'  that  toon  cross-eyed 
enough  to  steer  anybody  crooked.  There. 
Keep  your  blacking  soft  and  work  with  a 
dry  brush." 

"Lemme,"  said  Billy.  *Tve  got  to 
learn."  So  he  finished  the  boot  his  own 
way  with  wiry  determination,  breathing 
and  repolishing;  and  this  event  was  also 
adjudged  a  dead  heat,  with  results  gratify 
ing  to  both  parties.  So  here  was  their 
work  done,  and  more  money  in  their  pock 
ets  than  from  all  the  other  boots  and 
shoes  of  this  day;  and  Towhead  and  Billy 
did  not  wish  for  further  trade,  but  to 
spend  this  handsome  fortune  as  soon  as 
46 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

might  be.  Yet  they  delayed  in  the  bright 
ness  of  the  window,  drawn  by  curiosity 
near  this  new  kind  of  man  whose  voice 
held  them  and  whose  remarks  dropped 
them  into  constant  uncertainty*  Even 
the  omitted  leader  had  been  unable  to  go 
away  and  nurse  his  pride  alone. 

"Is  that  a  secret  society  ?"  inquired  Tow- 
head,  lifting  a  finger  at  the  badge. 

Mr.  McLean  nodded.  "  Turruble,"  said  he. 

"You're  a  Wells  Fargo  detective,"  as 
serted  the  leader. 

"Play  your  harp/'  said  Lin. 

"Are  you  a — a  desperaydo ?"  whispered 
Towhead. 

"Oh,  my!"  observed  Mr.  McLean,  sad 
ly;  "what  has  our  Jack  been  readin'?" 

"He's  a  cattle-man!"  cried  Billy.    "I 
seen  his  heels." 

47 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

"That's  your  said  the  discovered  punch 
er,  with  approval.  "  You'll  do.  Bat  I  bet 
you  can't  tell  me  what  we  wearers  of  this 
badge  have  sworn  to  do  this  night/' 

At  this  they  craned  their  necks  and 
glared  at  him. 

"We  —  are  —  sworn  (don't  yu*  jump, 
now,  and  give  me  away) — sworn — to — 
blow  off  three  bootblacks  to  a  dinner." 

"  Aht  pshaw !"  They  backed  away,  bris 
tling  with  distrust. 

"  That's  the  oath,  fellows.  Yu'  may  as 
well  make  your  minds  up — for  I  have  it 
to  do!" 

"Dare  you  to!    Ah!" 

"And  after  dinner  it's  the  Opera-house, 
to  see  'The  Children  of  Captain  Grant '!" 

They  screamed  shrilly  at  him,  keeping 
off  beyond  the  curb. 
48 


A   JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

"I  can't  waste  my  time  on  such  smart 
boys/'  said  Mr.  McLean,  rising  to  his  full 
height  from  the  window-sill.  "  I  am  going 
somewhere  to  find  boys  that  ain't  so  tur- 
ruble  quick  stampeded  by  a  roast  turkey." 

He  began  to  lounge  slowly  away,  serious" 
as  he  had  been  throughout,  and  they,  stop 
ping  their  noise  short,  swiftly  picked  up 
their  boxes  and  followed  him.  Some 
change  in  the  current  of  electricity  that 
fed  the  window  disturbed  its  sparkling 
light,  so  that  Santa  Glaus,  with  his  arms 
stretched  out  behind  the  departing  cow- 
puncher,  seemed  to  be  smiling  more  broad 
ly  from  the  midst  of  his  flickering  brill 
iance. 


IV 

Turkey  and  Responsibility 

ON  their  way  to  turkey,  the  host  and  his 
guests  exchanged  bat  few  remarks*  He 
was  full  of  good-will,  and  threw  off  a  com 
ment  or  two  that  would  have  led  to  con- 
versation  under  almost  any  circumstances 
save  these;  but  the  minds  of  the  guests 
were  too  distracted  by  this  whole  state  of 
things  for  them  to  be  capable  of  more 
•than  keeping  after  Mr*  McLean  in  silence, 
at  a  wary  interval,  and  with  their  mouths, 
during  most  of  the  journey,  open*  The 
badge,  the  pistol,  their  patron's  talk,  and 
the  unusual  dollars  wakened  wide  their 
50 


A  JOURNEY   IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

bent  for  the  unexpected,  their  street  af 
finity  for  the  spur  of  the  moment;  they 
believed  slimly  in  the  turkey  part  of  it, 
but  what  this  man  might  do  next,  to  be 
there  when  he  did  it,  and  not  to  be  trap 
ped,  kept  their  wits  jumping  deliciously; 
so  when  they  saw  him  stop  they  stopped 
instantly,  too,  ten  feet  out  of  reach.  This 
was  Denver's  most  civilized  restaurant — 
that  one  which  Mr.  McLean  had  remem 
bered,  with  foreign  dishes  and  private 
rooms,  where  he  had  promised  himself, 
among  other  things,  champagne.  Mr* 
McLean  had  never  been  inside  it,  but 
heard  a  tale  from  a  friend;  and  now  he 
caught  a  sudden  sight  of  people  among 
geraniums,  with  plumes  and  white  shirt- 
fronts,  very  elegant.  It  must  have  been 
several  minutes  that  he  stood  contemplat- 
5J 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

ing  the  entrance  and  the  luxurious  couples 
who  went  in. 

44  Plumb  French!"  he  observed,  at  length; 
and  then,  "Shucks!"  in  a  key  less  confi 
dent,  while  his  guests  ten  feet  away  watch 
ed  him  narrowly.  "They're  eatin'  patty 
de  parley-voo  in  there/'  he  muttered,  and 
the  three  boolblacks  came  beside  him. 
"Say,  fellows,"  said  Lin,  confidingly,  "I 
wasn't  raised  good  enough  for  them  dude 
dishes.  What  do  yu'  say!  I'm  after  a 
place  where  yu'  can  mention  oyster  stoo 
without  givin'  anybody  a  fit.  What  do 
yu'  say,  boys?" 

That  lighted  the  divine  spark  of  broth 
erhood! 

Ah,   you   come   along  with   us — we'll 
take  yer!    You  don't  want  to  go  in  there. 
We'll  show  yer  the  boss  place  in  Market 
52 


A   JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

Street.  We  won't  lose  yer."  Sot  shout 
ing  together  in  their  shrill  little  city  trebles, 
they  clustered  about  him,  and  one  pulled 
at  his  coat  to  start  him*  He  started  obe 
diently,  and  walked  in  their  charge,  they 
leading  the  way. 

"Christmas  is  comin'  now,  sure/'  said 
Lin,  grinning  to  himself.  "It  ain't  exact 
ly  what  I  figured  on."  It  was  the  first 
time  he  had  laughed  since  Cheyenne,  and 
he  brushed  a  hand  over  his  eyes,  that 
were  dim  with  the  new  warmth  in  his 
heart. 

Believing  at  length  in  him  and  his  tur 
key,  the  alert  street  faces,  so  suspicious 
of  the  unknown,  looked  at  him  with  ready 
intimacy  as  they  went  along;  and  soon,  in 
the  friendly  desire  to  make  him  acquainted 
with  Denver,  the  three  were  patronizing 
53 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 


him.     Only  Billy,  perhaps,  now  and  then 
stole  at  him  a  doubtful  look. 

The  large  Country  Mouse  listened  sol 
emnly  to  his  three  Town  Mice,  who  pres 
ently  introduced  him  to  the  place  in  Mar 
ket  Street.  It  was  not  boss,  precisely, 
and  Denver  knows  better  neighborhoods; 
but  the  turkey  and  the  oyster-stew  were 
there,  with  catsup  and  vegetables  in  sea 
son,  and  several  choices  of  pie.  Here  the 
Country  Mouse  became  again  efficient; 
and  to  witness  his  liberal  mastery  of  or 
dering  and  imagine  his  pocket  and  its 
wealth,  which  they  had  heard  and  partly 
seen,  renewed  in  the  guests  a  transient 
awe.  As  they  dined,  however,  and  found 
the  host  as  frankly  ravenous  as  themselves, 
this  reticence  evaporated,  and  they  all 
grew  fluent  with  oaths  and  opinions.  At 
54 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

one  or  two  words,  indeed,  Mr*  McLean 
stared  and  had  a  slight  sense  of  blushing. 

4 'Have  a  cigarette ?"  said  the  leader, 
over  his  pie* 

44  Thank  yu',"  said  Lin*  "  I  won't  smoke, 
if  you'll  excuse  me."  He  had  devised  a 
wholesome  meal  with  water  to  drink. 

"Chewin's  no  good  at  meals/'  continued 
the  boy.  "Don't  you  use  tobacker?" 

"Onced  in  a  while." 

The  leader  spat  brightly*  "He  'ain't 
learned  yet,"  said  he,  slanting  his  elbows 
at  Billy  and  sliding  a  match  over  his  rump* 
"But  beer,  now — I  never  seen  anything 
in  it."  He  and  Towhead  soon  left  Billy 
and  his  callow  profanities  behind,  and  en 
gaged  in  a  town  conversation  that  silenced 
him,  and  set  him  listening  with  all  his 
admiring  young  might.  Nor  did  Mr* 
55 


\-  - 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

McLean  join  in  the  talk,  but  sat  embar 
rassed  by  this  knowledge,  which  seemed 
about  as  much  as  he  knew  himself* 

"I'll  be  goshed,"  he  thought,  "if  I'd 
caught  on  to  half  that  when  I  was  streak- 
in'  arotmd  in  short  pants!  Maybe  they 
grow  up  quicker  now/'  But  now  the  Coun 
try  Mouse  perceived  Billy's  eager  and  at 
tentive  apprenticeship.  "Hello, boys!"  he 
said, "  that  theatre's  got  a  big  start  on  us." 

They  had  all  forgotten  he  had  said  any 
thing  about  theatre;  and  other  topics  left 
their  impatient  minds  while  the  Country 
Mouse  paid  the  bill  and  asked  to  be  guided 
to  the  Opera-house.  "This  man  here  will 
look  out  for  your  blackin'  and  truck,  and 
let  yu'  have  it  in  the  morning." 

They  were  very  late.  The  spectacle  had 
advanced  far  into  passages  of  the  highest 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH    OF  CHRISTMAS 

thrill,  and  Denver's  eyes  were  riveted  upon 
a  ship  and  some  icebergs*  The  party 
found  its  seats  daring  several  beautiful 
lime-light  effects,  and  that  remarkable  fly- 
buzzing  of  violins  which  is  pronounced  so 
helpful  in  times  of  peril  and  sentiment* 
The  children  of  Captain  Grant  had  been 
tracking  their  father  all  over  the  equator 
and  other  scenic  spots,  and  now  the  north 
pole  was  about  to  impale  them*  The 
Captain's  youngest  child,  perceiving  a 
hummock  rushing  at  them  with  a  sudden 
motion,  loudly  shouted,  "Sister,  the  ice 
is  closing  in!"  and  Sister  replied,  chastely, 
"Then  let  us  pray*"  It  was  a  superb 
tableau:  the  ice  split,  and  the  sun  rose  and 
joggled  at  once  to  the  zenith*  The  act- 
drop  fell,  and  male  Denver,  wrung  to  its 
religious  deeps,  went  out  to  the  rum-shop. 
57 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

Of  course  Mr.  McLean  and  his  party  did 
not  do  this.  The  party  had  applauded 
exceedingly  the  defeat  of  the  elements, 
and  the  leader,  with  Towhead,  discussed 
the  probable  chances  of  the  ship's  getting 
farther  south  in  the  next  act.  Until  lately 
Billy's  doubt  of  the  cow-puncher  had  lin 
gered;  but  during  this  intermission  what 
ever  had  been  holding  out  in  him  seemed 
won,  and  in  his  eyes,  that  he  turned 
stealthily  upon  his  unconscious,  quiet 
neighbor,  shone  the  beginnings  of  hero- 
worship. 

44 Don't  you  think  this  is  splendid?" 
said  he. 

"Splendid,"  Lin  replied,  a  trifle  re 
motely. 

"Don't  you  like  it  when  they  all  get 
balled  up  and  get  out  that  way?" 


A   JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

"Humming,"  said  Lin. 

"Don't  you  guess  it's  just  girls,  though, 
that  do  that?" 

"What,  young  fellow?" 

"Why,  all  that  prayer-saying  an'  stuff." 

"I  guess  it  must  be." 

"She  said  to  do  it  when  the  ice  scared 
her,  an'  of  course  a  man  had  to  do  what 
she  wanted  him." 

"Sure." 

"Well,  do  you  believe  they'd  'a'  done 
it  if  she  hadn't  been  on  that  boat,  an' 
clung  around  an'  cried  an'  everything,  an' 
made  her  friends  feel  bad?" 

44 1  hardly  expect  they  would,"  replied, 
the  honest  Lin,  and  then,  suddenly  mind 
ful  of  Billy,  "except  there  wasn't  nothin' 
else  they  could  think  of,"  he  added, 
ing  to  speak  favorably  of  the  custom. 
59 


!\ 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

"Why,  that  chunk  of  ice  weren't  so  aw 
ful  big,  anyhow,  I'd  'a'  shoved  her  off 
with  a  pole.  Wouldn't  you?" 

"Butted  her  like  a  ram,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
McLean. 

"Well,  I  don't  say  my  prayers  any  more. 
I  told  Mr*  Perkins  I  'wasn't  a-going  to,  an' 
he — I  think  he's  a  flubdub,  anyway." 

"I'll  bet  he  is!"  said  Lin,  sympathetical 
ly.  He  was  scarcely  a  prudent  guardian. 

"I  told  him  straight,  an'  he  looked  at 
me,  an'  down  he  flops  on  his  knees.  An' 
he  made  'em  all  flop,  but  I  told  him  I  didn't 
care  for  them  putting  up  any  camp-meet 
ing  over  me;  an'  he  says,  'I'll  lick  you,'  an' 

&  ^ 

I  says,  'Dare  you  to!'     I  told  him  mother 
kep'  a-Iicking  me  for  nothing,  an'  I'd  not 
pray  for  her,  not  in  Sunday-school  or  any 
wheres  else.     Do  you  pray  much?" 
60 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

"No,"  replied  Lin,  uneasily. 

44  There  I  I  told  him  a  man  didn't,  an' 
he  said  then  a  man  went  to  hell*  'You 
lie;  father  ain't  going  to  hell/  I  says,  and 
you'd  ought  to  heard  the  first  class  laugh 
right  out  loud,  girls  an'  boys.  An'  he  was 
that  mad!  But  I  didn't  care.  I  came 
here  with  fifty  cents." 

"Yu'  must  have  felt  like  a  millionaire." 

"Ah,  I  felt  all  right!  I  bought  papers 
an'  sold  'em,  an'  got  more  an'  saved,  an' 
got  my  box  an'  blacking  outfit.  I  weren't 
going  to  be  licked  by  her  just  because  she 
felt  like  it,  an'  she  feeling  like  it  most  any 
time.  Lemme  see  your  pistol." 

"You  wait,"  said  Lin.  "After  this 
show  is  through  I'll  put  it  on  you." 

"Will   you,    honest?    Belt    an'   every 
thing?    Did  you  ever  shoot  a  bear?" 
61 


f 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

"Lord!  lots/' 

"Honest?    Silver-tips?" 

"Silver-tips,  cinnamon,  black;  and  I 
roped  a  cub  onced." 

"O-h!    I  never  shot  a  bear/' 

"You'd  ought  to  try  it/' 

"I'm  a-going  to.  I'm  a-going  to  camp 
out  in  the  mountains.  I'd  like  to  see  you 
when  you  camp.  I'd  like  to  camp  with 
you.  Mightn't  I  some  time?"  Billy  had 
drawn  nearer  to  Lin,  and  was  looking  up 
at  him  adoringly. 

"You  bet!"  said  Lin;  and  though  he 
did  not,  perhaps,  entirely  mean  this,  it 
was  with  a  curiously  softened  face  that  he 
began  to  look  at  Billy.  As  with  dogs  and 
his  horse,  so  always  he  played  with  what 
children  he  met — the  few  in  his  sage-brush 
world;  but  this  was  ceasing  to  be  quite 
62 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF    CHRISTMAS 

play  for  him,  and  his  hand  went  to  the 
boy's  shoulder. 

"Father  took  me  camping  with  him 
once,  the  time  mother  was  off.  Father 
gets  awful  drunk,  too.  I've  quit  Laramie 
for  good." 

Lin  sat  up,  and  his  hand  gripped  the 
boy.  "Laramie!"  said  he,  almost  shout 
ing  it.  "Yu' — yu' — is  your  name  Lusk?" 

But  the  boy  had  shrunk  from  him  in 
stantly.  "You're  not  going  to  take  me 
home?"  he  piteously  wailed. 

"Heavens  and  heavens !"  murmured  Lin 
McLean.  "So  yu're  her  kid!" 

He  relaxed  again,  down  in  his  chair,  his 
legs  stretched  their  straight  length  below 
the  chair  in  front.  He  was  waked  from 
his  bewilderment  by  a  brushing  under 
him,  and  there  was  young  Billy  diving 
63 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

for  escape  to  the  aisle,  like  the  cornered 
City  Mouse  that  he  was.  Lin  nipped  that 
poor  little  attempt  and  had  the  limp  Billy 
seated  inside  again  before  the  two  in  dis 
cussion  beyond  had  seen  anything.  He 
had  said  not  a  word  to  the  boy,  and  now 
watched  his  unhappy  eyes  seizing  upon 
the  various  exits  and  dispositions  of  the 
theatre;  nor  could  he  imagine  anything 
to  tell  him  that  should  restore  the  perished 
confidence.  "Why  did  yu'  head  him  off ?" 
he  asked  himself,  unexpectedly,  and  found 
that  he  did  not  seem  to  know;  but  as  he 
watched  the  restless  and  estranged  run 
away  he  grew  more  and  more  sorrowful. 
"I  just  hate  him  to  think  that  of  me/' 
he  reflected.  The  curtain  rose,  and  he 
saw  Billy  make  up  his  mind  to  wait  until 
they  should  all  be  going  out  in  the  crowd. 
64 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

While  the  children  of  Captain  Grant  grew 
hotter  and  hotter  upon  their  father's  geo— ^ 
graphic  trail,  Lin  sat  saying  to  himself  & 
number  of  contradictions.  "He's  noth- 
in'  to  me*  What's  any  of  them  to  me?" 
Driven  to  bay  by  his  bewilderment,  he" 
restated  the  facts  of  the  past.  "Why, 
she'd  deserted  him  and  Lusk  before  she'd 
ever  laid  eyes  on  me.  I  needn't  to  bother 
myself.  He  wasn't  never  even  my  step- 
kid."  The  past,  however,  brought  no  guid 
ance.  "Lord,  what's  the  thing  to  do  about 
this?  If  I  had  any  home —  This  is  a  stinkin' 
world  in  some  respects,"  said  Mr.  McLean, 
aloud,  unknowingly.  The  lady  in  the  chair 
beneath  which  the  cow-puncher  had  his 
legs  nudged  her  husband.  They  took  it  for 
emotion  over  the  sad  fortunes  of  Captain 
Grant,  and  their  backs  shook.  Presently 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF  CHRISTMAS 

each  turned,  and  saw  the  singular  man 
with  untamed,  wide-open  eyes  glowing  at 
the  stage,  and  both  backs  shook  again. 

Once  more  his  hand  was  laid  on  Billy. 

Say !" 

The  boy  glanced  at  him,  and  quickly 
away. 

"Look  at  me,  and  listen." 

Billy  swervingly  obeyed. 

"I  ain't  after  yu',  and  never  was.  This 
here's  your  business,  not  mine.  Are  yu* 

*•, 

listenin'  good?" 

The  boy  made  a  nod,  and  Lin  proceeded, 
whispering:  "You've  got  no  call  to  believe 
what  I  say  to  yu' — yu've  been  lied  to,  I 
guess,  pretty  often.  So  I'll  not  stop  yu' 
runnin'  and  hidin',  and  I'll  never  give  it 
away  I  saw  yu',  but  yu'  keep  doin'  what 
yu'  please.  I'll  just  go  now.  I've  saw 
66 


A  JOURNEY   IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

all  I  want,  but  you  and  your  friends  stay 
with  it  till  it  quits.  If  yu'  happen  to  wish 
to  speak  to  me  about  that  pistol  or  bears, 
yu'  come  around  to  Smith's  Palace — that's 
the  boss  hotel  here,  ain't  it?— and  if  yu' 
don't  come  too  late  I'll  not  be  gone  to 
bed.  By  this  time  of  night  I'm  liable  to 
get  sleepy.  Tell  your  friends  good-bye 
for  me,  and  be  good  to  yourself.  I've 
appreciated  your  company." 

Mr.  McLean  entered  Smith's  Palace, 
and,  engaging  a  room  with  two  beds  in  it, 
did  a  little  delicate  lying  by  means  of  the 
truth.  "It's  a  lost  boy — a  runaway,"  he 
told  the  clerk.  "He'll  not  be  extra  clean, 
I  expect,  if  he  does  come.  Maybe  he'll 
give  me  the  slip,  and  I'll  have  a  job  cut 
out  to-morrow.  I'll  thank  yu'  to  put  my 

money  in  your  safe." 
67 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

The  clerk  placed  himself  at  the  disposal 
of  the  secret  service,  and  Lin  walked  tip 
and  down,  looking  at  the  railroad  photo 
graphs  for  some  ten  minutes,  when  Master 
Billy  peered  in  from  the  street. 

"  Hello  r  said  Mr.  McLean,  casually, 
and  returned  to  a  fine  picture  of  Pike's 
Peak. 

Billy  observed  him  for  a  space,  and,  re 
ceiving  no  further  attention,  came  step 
ping  along.  "Fni  not  a-going  back  to 
Laramie,"  he  stated,  warningly. 

"I  wouldn't,"  said  Lin.  "It  ain't  half 
the  town  Denver  is.  Well,  good-night. 
Sorry  yu'  couldn't  call  sooner — I'm  dead 
sleepy." 

"0-h!"  Billy  stood  blank.  "I  wish 
I'd  shook  the  darned  old  show.  Say, 
lemme  black  your  boots  in  the  morning?" 
68 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

"Not  sure  my  train  don't  go  too 
early/' 

4 'I'm  up!  I'm  up!  I  get  around  to  all 
of  'em/' 

44 Where  do  yu'  sleep?" 

"Sleeping  with  the  engine-man  now. 
Why  can't  you  put  that  on  me  to-night?" 

"Goin'  up  -  stairs.  This  gentleman 
wouldn't  let  yu'  go  up-stairs/' 

But  the  earnestly  petitioned  clerk  con 
sented,  and  Billy  was  the  first  to  hasten 
into  the  room.  He  stood  rapturous  while 
Lin  buckled  the  belt  round  his  scanty 
stomach,  and  ingeniously  buttoned  the 
suspenders  outside  the  accoutrement  to 
retard  its  immediate  descent  to  earth. 

"Did  it  ever  kill  a  man?"  asked  Billy, 
touching  the  six-shooter. 

"No.  It  'ain't  never  had  to  do  that, 
69 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

but  I  expect  maybe  it's  stopped  some 
killin'  me." 

"Oh,  leave  me  wear  it  just  a  minute! 
Do  you  collect  arrow-heads?  I  think 
they're  bully*  There's  the  finest  one  you 
ever  seen/'  He  brought  out  the  relict 
tightly  wrapped  in  paper,  several  pieces. 
"I  foun'  it  myself,  camping  with  father. 
It  was  sticking  in  a  crack  right  on  top  of 
a  rock,  but  nobody'd  seen  it  till  I  came 
along.  Ain't  it  fine?" 

Mr.  McLean  pronounced  it  a  gem. 

"Father  an'  me  found  a  lot,  an'  they 
made  mother  mad  lying  around,  an'  she 
throwed  'em  out.  She  takes  stuff  from 
Kelley's." 

"Who's  Kelley?" 

"He  keeps  the  drug-store  at  Laramie. 
Mother  gets  awful  funny.  That's  how 
70 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

she  was  when  I  came  home.  For  I  told 
Mr.  Perkins  he  lied,  an'  I  ran  then.  An' 
I  knowed  well  enough  she'd  lick  me  when 
she  got  through  her  spell — an'  father  can't 
stop  hert  an'  I — ah,  I  was  sick  of  it!  She's 
lamed  me  up  twice  beating  me — an'  Per 
kins  wanting  me  to  say  'God  bless  my 
mother!'  a-getting  up  and  a-going  to  bed 
— he's  a  flubdub !  An'  so  I  cleared  out. 
But  I'd  just  as  leaves  said  for  God  to 
bless  father — an'  you.  I'll  do  it  now  if 
you  say  it's  any  sense." 

Mr.  McLean  sat  down  in  a  chair.  "  Don't 
yu*  do  it  now,"  said  he. 

44  You  wouldn't  like  mother,"  Billy  con 
tinued.  "You  can  keep  that."  He  came 
to  Lin  and  placed  the  arrow-head  in  his 
hands,  standing  beside  him.  "Do  you 
like  birds'  eggs?  I  collect  them.  I  got 
71 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 


twenty-five  kinds  —  sage-hen,  an'  blue 
grouse,  an'  willow-grouse,  an'  lots  more 
kinds  harder  —  but  I  couldn't  bring  all 
them  from  Laramie.  I  brought  the  mag 
pie's,  though,  D'  you  care  to  see  a  mag 
pie  egg?  Well,  you  stay  to-morrow  an' 
I'll  show  you  that  an'  some  other  things  I 
got  the  engine-man  lets  me  keep  there,  for 
there's  boys  that  would  steal  an  egg.  An' 
I  could  take  you  where  we  could  fire  that 
pistoL  Bet  you  don't  know  what  that  is!" 

He  brought  out  a  small  tin  box  shaped 
like  a  thimble,  in  which  were  things  that 
rattled. 

Mr.  McLean  gave  it  up. 

44  That's  kinni-kinnic  seed.  You  can 
have  that,  for  I  got  some  more  with  the 
engine-man." 

Lin  received  this  second  token  also,  and 
72 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

thanked  the  giver  for  it*  His  first  feeling 
had  been  to  prevent  the  boy's  parting  with 
his  treasures,  but  something  that  came  not 
from  the  polish  of  manners  and  experience 
made  him  know  that  he  should  take  them. 
Billy  talked  away,  laying  bare  his  little 
soul ;  the  street  boy  that  was  not  quite 
come  made  place  for  the  child  that  was  not 
quite  gone,  and  unimportant  words  and 
confidences  dropped  from  him  disjointed 
as  he  climbed  to  the  knee  of  Mr.  McLean, 
and  inadvertently  took  that  cow-puncher 
for  some  sort  of  parent  he  had  not  hitherto 
met.  It  lasted  but  a  short  while,  how 
ever,  for  he  went  to  sleep  in  the  middle  of 
a  sentence,  with  his  head  upon  Lin's  breast* 
The  man  held  him  perfectly  still,  because 
he  had  not  the  faintest  notion  that  Billy 
would  be  impossible  to  disturb.  At  length 
73 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

he  spoke  to  him,  suggesting  that  bed  might 
prove  more  comfortable;  and,  finding  how 
it  was,  rose  and  undresssed  the  boy  and 
laid  him  between  the  sheets.  The  arms 
and  legs  seemed  aware  of  the  moves  re 
quired  of  them,  and  stirred  conveniently; 
and  directly  the  head  was  upon  the  pillow 
the  whole  small  frame  burrowed  down, 
without  the  opening  of  an  eye  or  a  change 
in  the  breathing.  Lin  stood  some  time 
by  the  bedside,  with  his  eyes  on  the  long, 
curling  lashes  and  the  curly  hair.  Then 
he  glanced  craftily  at  the  door  of  the  room, 
and  at  himself  in  the  looking-glass.  He 
stooped  and  kissed  Billy  on  the  forehead, 
and,  rising  from  that,  gave  himself  a  hang 
dog  stare  in  the  mirror,  and  soon  in  his 
own  bed  was  sleeping  the  sound  sleep  of 

health. 

74 


Santa    Glaus    Lin 

HE  was  faintly  roused  by  the  church- 
bells,  and  lay  stilt,  lingering  with  his  sleep, 
his  eyes  closed  and  his  thoughts  unshaped. 
As  he  became  slowly  aware  of  the  morn 
ing,  the  ringing  and  the  light  reached  him,  * 
and  he  waked  wholly,  and,  still  lying  quiet, 
considered  the  strange  room  filled  with  the 
bells  and  the  sun  of  the  winter's  day. 
44 Where  have  I  struck  now?"  he  inquired; 
and  as  last  night  returned  abruptly  upon 
his  mind,  he  raised  himself  on  his  arm. 

There    sat    Responsibility    in    a    chair, 
washed  clean  and  dressed,  watching  him. 


75 


O 


A   JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF  CHRISTMAS 

"  You're  awful  late/'  said  Responsibil 
ity.  "But  I  weren't  a-going  without  tell 
ing  you  good-bye." 

"Go?"  exclaimed  Lin.  "Go  where? 
Yu'  surely  ain't  leavin'  me  to  eat  break 
fast  alone?"  The  cow-puncher  made  his 
voice  very  plaintive.  Set  Responsibility 
free  after  all  his  trouble  to  catch  him? 
This  was  more  than  he  could  do ! 

"I've  got  to  go.  If  I'd  thought  you'd 
want  for  me  to  stay — why,  you  said  you 
was  a-going  by  the  early  train." 

"But  the  durned  thing's  got  away  on 
me/'  said  Lin,  smiling  sweetly  from  the 
bed. 

If  I  hadn't  a-promised  them — " 

"Who?" 

"Sidney  Ellis  and  Pete  Goode.     Why, 
you  know  them;  you  grubbed  with  them." 
76 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 

44  Shucks !" 

"We're  a-going  to  have  fun  to-day/' 

"Oh!" 

"For  it's  Christmas,  an'  we've  bought 
some  good  cigars,  an'  Pete  says  he'll  learn 
me  sure.  0'  coarse  I've  smoked  some, 
you  know.  Bat  I'd  just  as  leaves  stayed 
with  you  if  I'd  only  knowed  sooner.  I 
wish  you  lived  here.  Did  you  smoke  whole 
big  cigars  when  you  was  beginning?" 

"Do  yu'  like  flapjacks  and  maple 
syrup?"  inquired  the  artful  McLean. 
44  That's  what  I'm  figuring  on  inside 
twenty  minutes." 

"Twenty  minutes!    If  they'd  wait — " 

"See  here,  Bill.    They've  quit  expect- 
in'  yu',  don't  yu'  think?     I'd   ought  to 
waked,  yu'  see,  but  I  slep'  and  slep',  and 
kep'  yu'  from  meetin'  your  engagements, 
77 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH  OF  CHRISTMAS 

yu*  see — for  you  couldn't  go,  of  coarse. 
A  man  couldn't  treat  a  man  that  way 
now,  could  he?" 

44  Course  he  couldn't/'  said  Billy,  bright 
ening. 

"And  they  wouldn't  wait,  yu'  see 
They  wouldn't  fool  away  Christmas,  that 
only  comes  onced  a  year,  kickin'  their 
heels,  and  sayin'  '  Where's  Billy  ?'  They'd 
say,  'Bill  has  sure  made  other  arrange 
ments,  which  he'll  explain  to  us  at  his  lees- 
yure.'  And  they'd  skip  with  the  cigars." 

The  advocate  paused,  effectively,  and 
from  his  bolster  regarded  Billy  with  a  con 
vincing  eye. 

"That's  so,"  said  Billy. 

"And  where  would  yu'  be  then,  Bill? 
In  the  street,  out  of  friends,  out  of  Christ 
mas,  and  left  both  ways,  no  tobacker  and 
78 


V^ 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

no  flapjacks.  Now,  Bill,  what  do  yu'  say 
to  us  puttin'  up  a  Christmas  deal  together  ? 
Just  you  and  me?" 

"I'd  like  that/'  said  Billy.  "Is  it  all 
day?" 

"I  was  thinkin'  of  all  day,"  said  Lin. 
"I'll  not  make  yu'  do  anything  yu'd  rather 
not." 

"Ah,  they  can  smoke  without  me,"  said 
Billy,  with  sudden  acrimony.  "I'll  see 
'em  to-morro'." 

"  That's  yu' !"  cried  Mr.  McLean.  "  Now, 
Bill,  you  hustle  down  and  tell  them  to 
keep  a  table  for  us.  I'll  get  my  clothes 
on  and  follow  yu'." 

The  boy  went,  and  Mr.  McLean  procured 

hot  water  and  dressed  himself,  tying  his 

scarf  with  great  care.     "  Wished  I'd  a  clean 

shirt,"  said  he.     "But  I  don't  look  very 

79 


A  JOURNEY   IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 


bad*  Shavin'  yesterday  afternoon  was  a 
good  move/'  He  picked  up  the  arrow 
head  and  the  kinni-kinnic,  and  was  partic 
ular  to  store  them  in  his  safest  pocket, 
"I  ain't  sure  whether  you're  crazy  or  not/' 
said  he  to  the  man  in  the  looking-glass. 
44 1  'ain't  never  been  sure/'  And  he  slam 
med  the  door  and  went  down-stairs. 

He  found  young  Bill  on  guard  over  a 
table  for  four,  with  all  the  chairs  tilted 
against  it  as  a  warning  to  strangers.  No 
one  sat  at  any  other  table  or  came  into  the 
room,  for  it  was  late,  and  the  place  quite 
emptied  of  breakfasters.  and  the  several 
entertained  waiters  had  gathered  behind 
Billy's  important-looking  back.  Lin  pro 
vided  a  thorough  meal,  and  Billy  pro 
nounced  the  flannel  cakes  superior  to  flap 
jacks,  which  were  not  upon  the  bill  of  fare. 
80 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

"I'd  like  to  see  you  often/'  said  he. 
"I'll  come  and  see  you  if  you  don't  live 
too  far." 

'That's  the  trouble/'  said  the  cow- 
puncher.  "I  do.  Awful  far."  He  stared 
out  of  the  window. 

"Well,  I  might  come  some  time.  I 
wish  you'd  write  me  a  letter.  Can  you 
write?" 

"What's  that?    Can  I  write?    Oh  yes." 

"I  can  write,  an'  I  can  read,  too.  I've 
been  to  school  in  Sidney,  Nebraska,  an' 
Magaw,  Kansas,  an'  Salt  Lake — that's  the 
finest  town  except  Denver." 

Billy  fell  into  that  cheerful  strain  of 
comment  which,  unreplied   to,   yet   goes 
on  content  and  self-sustaining,  while  Mr. 
McLean  gave  amiable  signs  of  assent 
chiefly  looked  out  of  the  window 
SI 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF  CHRISTMAS 

the  now  interested  waiter  said,  respectfully, 
that  he  desired  to  close  the  room,  they 
went  out  to  the  office,  where  the  money 
was  got  out  of  the  safe  and  the  bill  paid. 
The  streets  were  full  of  the  bright  sun, 
and  seemingly  at  Denver's  gates  stood  the 
mountains;  an  air  crisp  and  pleasant  wafted 
from  their  peaks;  no  smoke  hung  among 
the  roofs,  and  the  sky  spread  wide  over 
the  city  without  a  stain;  it  was  holiday 
If*  up  among  the  chimneys  and  tall  buildings, 

•    and  down  among  the  quiet  ground-stories 

• 

>  below  as  well;  and  presently  from  their 
scattered  pinnacles  through  the  town  the 
bells  broke  out  against  the  jocund  silence 
of  the  morning. 

4  '  Don't  you  like  music  ?"  inquired  Billy* 
"Yes,"  said  Lin. 

Ladies  with  their  husbands  and  children 
82 


A  JOURNEY   IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

were  passing  and  meeting,  orderly  yet 
gayer  than  if  it  were  only  Sunday,  and  the 
salutations  of  Christmas  came  now  and 
again  to  the  cow-puncher's  ears;  but  to 
day,  possessor  of  his  own  share  in  this,  Lin 
looked  at  every  one  with  a  sort  of  friendly 
challenge,  and  young  Billy  talked  along  j 
beside  him. 

"Don't  you  think  we  could  go  in  here?" 
Billy  asked.  A  church  door  was  open, 
and  the  rich  organ  sounded  through  to 
the  pavement.  "  They've  good  music  here, 
an'  they  keep  it  up  without  much  talking 
between.  I've  been  in  lots  of  times." 

They  went  in  and  sat  to  hear  the  music. 
Better  than  the  organ,  it  seemed  to  them, 
were  the  harmonious  voices  raised  from 
somewhere  outside,  like  unexpected  visit 
ants;  and  the  pair  sat  in  their  back  seat, 
83 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 


too  deep  in  listening  to  the  processional 
hymn  to  think  of  rising  in  decent  imitation 
of  those  around  them.  The  crystal  mel 
ody  of  the  refrain  especially  reached  their 
understandings,  and  when  for  the  fourth 
time  "Shout  the  glad  tidings,  exult ingly 
sing,"  pealed  forth  and  ceased,  both  the 
delighted  faces  fell* 

"Don't  you  wish  there  was  more?"  Billy 
whispered. 

"Wish  there  was  a  hundred  verses/'  an 
swered  Lin. 

But  canticles  and  responses  followed, 
with  so  little  talking  between  them  they 
were  held  spellbound,  seldom  thinking  to 
rise  or  kneel.  Lin's  eyes  roved  over  the 
church,  dwelling  upon  the  pillars  in  their 
evergreen,  the  flowers  and  leafy  wreaths, 
the  texts  of  white  and  gold.  ' '  Peace, 
84 


A  JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

good-will  towards  men/  "  he  read.  "That's 
so.  Peace  and  good-will.  Yes,  that's  so. 
I  expect  they  got  that  somewheres  in  the 
Bible.  It's  awful  good,  and  you'd  never 
think  of  it  yourself." 

There  was  a  touch  on  his  arm,  and  a 
woman  handed  a  book  to  him.  "This  is 
the  hymn  we  have  now,"  she  whispered, 
gently;  and  Lin,  blushing  scarlet,  took  it 
passively  without  a  word.  He  and  Billy 
stood  up  and  held  the  book  together, 
dutifully  reading  the  words: 

"It  came  upon  the  midnight   clear, 

That  glorious  song  of  old, 
From  angels  bending  near  the  earth 

To  touch  their  harps  of  gold  ; 
Peace  on  the  earth — " 

This  tune  was  more  beautiful  than  all, 

and  Lin  lost  himself  in  it,  until  he  found 

85 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

Billy  recalling  him  with  a  finger  upon  the 
words,  the  concluding  ones : 

"And  the  whole  world  sent  back  the  song 
Which  now  the  angels  sing." 

The  music  rose  and  descended  to  its  lovely 
and  simple  end;  and,  for  a  second  time  in 
Denver,  Lin  brushed  a  hand  across  his  eyes. 
He  turned  his  face  from  his  neighbor, 
frowning  crossly;  and  since  the  heart  has 
reasons  which  Reason  does  not  know,  he 
seemed  to  himself  a  fool;  but  when  the 
service  was  over  and  he  came  out,  he 
repeated  again,  "'  Peace  and  good -will/ 
When  I  run  on  to  the  Bishop  of  Wyoming 
Fll  tell  him  if  he'll  preach  on  them  words 
I'll  be  there/' 

" Couldn't  we  shoot  your  pistol  now?" 
asked  Billy. 

86 


A  JOURNEY  IN  SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

44  Sure,  boy.    Ain't  yu'  hungry ,  though  ?' ' 

"No*  I  wish  we  were  away  off  up  there. 
Don't  you?" 

"The  mountains?  They  look  pretty— 
so  white!  A  heap  better  'n  houses.  Why* 
we'll  go  there!  There's  trains  to  Golden. 
We'll  shoot  around  among  the  foot-hills." 

To  Golden  they  immediately  went,  and* 
after  a  meal  there,  wandered  in  the  open 
country  until  the  cartridges  were  gone*  the 
sun  was  low*  and  Billy  was  walked  off  his 
young  heels — a  truth  he  learned  complete 
in  one  horrid  moment  and  battled  to  con 
ceal. 

"Lame!"  he  echoed,  angrily.    "I  ain't." 

"Shucks!"  said  Lin,  after  the  next  ten 
steps.  "You  are,  and  both  feet." 

"Tell  you,  there's  stones  here,  an'  I'm 
just  a-skipping  them." 
87 


A  JOURNEY   IN    SEARCH  OF   CHRISTMAS 

Lin,  briefly,  took  the  boy  in  his  arms  and 
carried  him  to  Golden*  "I'm  played  out 
myself/'  he  said,  sitting  in  the  hotel  and 
looking  lugubriously  at  Billy  on  a  bed. 
"And  I  ain't  fit  to  have  charge  of  a  hog/' 
He  came  and  put  his  hand  on  the  boy's 
head. 

"I'm  not  sick,"  said  the  cripple.  "I 
tell  you  I'm  bully.  You  wait  an'  see  me 
eat  dinner." 

But  Lin  had  hot  water  and  cold  water 
and  salt,  and  was  an  hour  upon  his  knees 
bathing  the  hot  feet.  And  then  Billy  could 
not  eat  dinner. 

There  was  a  doctor  in  Golden;  but  in 
spite  of  his  light  prescription  and  most 
reasonable  observations,  Mr.  McLean  pass 
ed  a  foolish  night  of  vigil,  while  Billy  slept, 
quite  well  at  first,  and,  as  the  hours  passed, 
88 


A   JOURNEY  IN    SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

better  and  better.  In  the  morning  he  was 
entirely  brisk,  though  stiff. 

44 1  couldn't  work  quick  to-day,"  he  said. 
"But  I  guess  one  day  won't  lose  me  my 
trade." 

"How  d'  yu'  mean?"  asked  Lin. 

"Why,  I've  got  regulars,  you  know. 
Sidney  Ellis  an'  Pete  Goode  has  theirs, 
an'  we  don't  cut  each  other.  I've  got  Mr* 
Daniels  an'  Mr.  Fisher  an'  lots,  an'  if  you 
lived  in  Denver  I'd  shine  your  boots  every 
day  for  nothing.  I  wished  you  lived  in 
Denver." 

"Shine  my  boots?  Yu'll  never!  And 
yu'  don't  black  Daniels  or  Fisher,  or  any  of 
the  outfit/' 

"Why,  I'm  doing  first-rate,"  said  Billy, 
surprised  at  the  swearing  into  which  Mr. 
McLean  now  burst.  "An'  I  ain't  big 
89 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

enough  to  get  to  make  money  at  any  other 
job/' 

"I  want  to  see  that  engine-man/'  mat 
tered  Lin.  "I  don't  like  your  smokin' 
friend/' 

"Pete  Goode?  Why,  he's  awful  smart. 
Don't  you  think  he's  smart?" 

"Smart's  nothin'/'  observed  Mr,  Mc 
Lean. 

"Pete  has  learned  me  and  Sidney  a  lot/' 
pursued  Billy,  engagingly. 

"I'll  bet  he  has!"  growled  the  cow-punch 
er;  and  again  Billy  was  taken  aback  at  his 
language. 

It  was  not  so  simple,  this  case.  To  the 
perturbed  mind  of  Mr.  McLean  it  grew 
less  simple  during  that  day  at  Golden, 
while  Billy  recovered,  and  talked,  and  ate 
his  innocent  meals.  The  cow  -  puncher 
90 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF  CHRISTMAS 

was  far  too  wise  to  think  for  a  single  mo 
ment  of  restoring  the  runaway  to  his  de 
bauched  and  shiftless  parents.  Possessed 
of  some  imagination,  he  went  through  a 
scene  in  which  he  appeared  at  the  Lusk 
threshold  with  Billy  and  forgiveness,  and 
intruded  upon  a  conjugal  assault  and  bat 
tery.  "Shucks!"  said  he.  "The  kid 
would  be  off  again  inside  a  week.  And  I 
don't  want  him  there,  anyway." 

Denver,  upon  the  following  day,  saw 
the  little  bootblack  again  at  his  corner, 
with  his  trade  not  lost;  but  near  him  stood 
a  tall,  singular  man,  with  hazel  eyes  and 
a  sulky  expression.     And  citizens  during, 
that  week  noticed,  as  a  new  sight  in  the 
streets,  the  tall  man  and  the  little  boy  walk 
ing  together.     Sometimes  they  would  be  i 
shops.    The  boy  seemed  as  happy  as 
9J 


- 


o 


A  JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH   OF   CHRISTMAS 

sible,  talking  constantly,  while  the  man  sel 
dom  said  a  word,  and  his  face  was  serious. 

Upon  New  Year's  Eve  Governor  Bar 
ker  was  overtaken  by  Mr*  McLean  riding 
a  horse  up  Hill  Street,  Cheyenne. 

"  Hello !"  said  Barker,  staring  humor 
ously  through  his  glasses.  "Have  a  good 
drunk  ?" 

"Changed  my  mind/'  said  Lin,  grinning. 
"Proves  I've  got  one.  Struck  Christmas 
all  right,  though." 

"Who's  your  friend?"  inquired  his  Ex 
cellency. 

This  is  Mister  Billy  Lusk.  Him  and 
me  have  agreed  that  towns  ain't  nice  to 
live  in.  If  Judge  Henry's  foreman  and 
his  wife  won't  board  him  at  Sunk  Creek — 
why,  I'll  fix  it  somehow." 
92 


A   JOURNEY  IN   SEARCH    OF   CHRISTMAS 


The  cow-pimcher  and  his  Responsibility 
rode  on  together  towards  the  open  plain. 

"Suffering  Moses!'7  remarked  his  Ex 
cellency. 


THE    END 


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